Corset.



F; HEINDRICH.

CGRSET. APPucATioN FILED FEB. 10. I916.

Patented July 18, 1916.

IIIIiII-l'lllrlLlf l.- .ullllllll' INVENTOR WITNESS THE NORRIS PETERS can, wnsumm'on, n. c.

FRANCES HEINDRICH OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CORSET. I

Application filed February 10, 1916. Serial No. 77,366.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANons HEINDRIOH, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corsets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for an object to provide a brassiere corset, or, in other words, a combined brassiere and corset so constructed that the advantageous effect of each portion of the garment will be enhanced by the other.

As is well known, in persons having considerable flesh at the region where the top of an ordinary corset ends, the pressure of the corset is apt to cause uneven lines which to some extent the ordinary brassiere overcomes, but ineifectually. By the present improvement, however, the continuity of the structure gives to the figure continuous and perfect lines, and any compression of the flesh at one point is not made unduly prominent at another.

In the drawings accompanying this application one practicable embodiment of the invention is illustrated, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a view of the corset opened out. This view shows the outside of the garment; Fig. 2 is a front perspective view of the corset in use, and Fig. 3 is a similar back view.

The body portion of the corset illustrated is of usual construction, it being the prevailing type of long corset. That is, there is provided a lower skirt portion 5 more or less flexible, the body portion 6 being provided with a plurality of stiifeners or stays extending at various distances down into the flexible lower portion. The body portion comprises two fabric body halves provided with the usual fastening device at the front, 7, 7, and lacing 8 at the back. The fastener 7, 7 is in the illustration a steel provided with interengaging elements. Below this the body portion of the garment isprovided with eyelets 9 whereby the flexible lower or skirt portion may be laced at the front, as at 9, Fig. 2, to conform to the figure and also for the purpose to be hereinafter mentioned. The lower edge of the corset is shown provided with elastic stocking supporters 10.

By reference to the drawings, particularly Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that my improved corset is considerably higher than the ordinary corset, and that the front portions from arm side to arm side are flexible compared with the body portion 6 of the garment. Flexibility is particularly noticeable atthebust portions 11. The stiffeners or stays are shown ending in such manner that they leave this portion of the garment practically free to adjust itself to the form of the wearer, as modified, however, by the correcting compression afforded. The bust and shoulder blade portions are formed in one piece with the body portions. It will be seen that the upper portion of the garment has an upward extension 12 at each bust portion and an upward extension 13 at about the region'of the shoulder blade, and that each half or side of the corset has a down curve at 1% between these extensions to come under the arm. The bust portions 11 and upward extensions 12 at the front slant downwardly at 11 making a V at 15, and the shoulder blade portions are shown slanting down at 13, making a V at 16. In one aspect the garment has four upward extensions and four down curves.

At each side of the back lacing 8 and the stays associated therewith, there is shown a stay 17 extending from the body portion to about the top of the extension 13. Thereis also shown a stay 18 at one side of the bust portion and adjacent the side depression, which also extends to about the top of the garment. The reinforcing heavy scam in which the stay 19 just below the bust is in.- closed, is shown carried up through the bust portion at 19 across the front thereof to give stability to this portion of the garment.

Shoulder straps 20 are illustrated for supporting and holding in position the upper edge of the garment, particularly the up ward extensions 12, 12, 13, 13. These shoulder straps, or some portion of them, are preferably of elastic material normally under continual tension while the garment is being worn. Very satisfactory results are afforded by having the ends of the shoulder straps bifurcated, whereby a two-point connection will be had with each upward extension. Thus the front of the shoulder strap has two connecting straps 21, 21, and the rear has two connecting straps 22,22. One of the connections 21 is toward the front of the bust portion and forms substantially a continuation of the V-forming line 11, and the other is connected at about the region of the reinforcing center seam 19. By means of the elastic tension of this two-point connection the bust portion'is held securely in position. the bust of the wearer properly supported and retained, and the natural roundness of contour thereof maintained, irrespective of the amount of compression thus applied. It will also be seen that one of the back connecting straps 22 engages the garment at the edge 13, forming a more or less broken line with such edge, and the other strap 22 is connected at about the region of the upwardly extending stay 17. By this means the flesh at the back, which frequently bulges over the top edge of the corset, is held in its natural position, andthe figure is not marred in this respect by the compres sive action applied as by the ordinary corset top. The flexible bottom portion 5 of the corset held in position by means of the lacings 9 and the stocking supporters, which are elastic, assists in holding the upper portion or brassiere elements of the corset to their work, and cooperates therewith and with theelastic shoulder straps in assisting the garment to present an ideal form. The stocking supporters not only serve their usual and customary duties but also being normally under tension serve to normally apply tension to the shoulder straps. These supporters and shoulder straps being elastic and continuously under tension hold the brassiere parts against the body of the wearer irrespective of the changing positions assumed from time to time by the wearer, and at all times a continuous unbroken line is presented from a point above the bust to a point below the torso, and unbroken lines are presented at the region Where the body portion merges into the bust and shoulder blade covering portions.

It is to be understood that the corset shown in the drawings is illustrative of the invention, and that changes may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the invention.

vVhat I claim is A corset comprising two fabric body halves, provided with a skirt extension closely fitting and surrounding the hips of the wearer, elastic stocking supporters depending therefrom, each body half provided with an integral bust supporter and at the rear with an upwardly extending shoulder blade extension, vertical stiffeners arranged in the body portion of each corset body half and extending from a point a substantial distance above the lower edge of the corset and terminating below the bust supporter, whereby said bust support and skirt portion are left freely flexible, elastic shoulder straps each bifurcated front and rear and connected at the front to the respective sides of the bust extension, and at the rear to the respective sides of the shoulder blade exten sion, said shoulder straps being normally under tension by the elastic stocking supporters when the corset is in position on the wearer.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

FRANCES HEINDRIGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

